UST INC. INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT 10.1
This Indemnification Agreement (“Agreement”) is made and effective as of August 4,
2005 by and between UST Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and
(“Indemnitee”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified
individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company;
WHEREAS, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company, the
Company wishes to provide for the indemnification of, and advancement of expenses to, Indemnitee to
the maximum extent permitted by law;
WHEREAS, the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (the “Charter”) requires
indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company, and Indemnitee may also be entitled
to indemnification pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the
“DGCL”);
WHEREAS, the Charter and the DGCL expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set
forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between
the Company and members of the board of directors, officers, employees and other persons with
respect to indemnification;
WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate
itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from
undue concern that they will not be so indemnified; and
WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the indemnification provided
in the Charter and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute
therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, the
Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
Section 1. Services to the Company. Indemnitee agrees to serve as a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company, as the case may be. Indemnitee may at any time and for any
reason resign from such position (subject to any other contractual
obligation or any obligation imposed by operation of law), in which event the Company shall
have no obligation under this Agreement to continue Indemnitee in such position. This Agreement
shall not be deemed an employment contract between the Company (or any of its subsidiaries or any
Enterprise) and Indemnitee. The foregoing notwithstanding, this Agreement shall continue in force
after Indemnitee has ceased to serve as a director or officer or be an employee, as the case may
be, of the Company, but only limited to those actions and conduct of such person during the time
that he served as a director or officer or was an employee of the Company.
Section 2. Definitions
As used in this Agreement:
(a) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership or joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise which such person is or was serving at
the request of the Company.
(b) “Enterprise” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at
the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary.
(c) “Expenses” shall include all reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs,
transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and
binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other disbursements or
expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to
prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, or otherwise
participating in, a Proceeding. Expenses also shall include expenses incurred in connection with
any appeal resulting from any Proceeding, including without limitation the premium, security for,
and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedes bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent.
Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of
judgments or fines against Indemnitee.
(d) “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, or a partner (or, if applicable, member)
of such a law firm, that is experienced in matters of corporation law and neither presently is, nor
in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter
material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning the Indemnitee under
this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements), or (ii) any
other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the
applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in
representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under
this Agreement. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable
fees and expenses of the Independent Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such
counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to
this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.
(e) The term “Proceeding” shall include any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative
hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, including any appeal therein,
whether brought in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative nature, in which Indemnitee was, is or will be involved as a party
or otherwise by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the
Company, as the case may be, by reason of any action taken by him or of any action on his part while
acting as director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or by reason of the fact that he is or was serving at the
request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, in each case whether
or not serving in such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which
indemnification, reimbursement, or advancement of expenses can be provided under this Agreement;
provided, however, that Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification pursuant to this
Agreement in connection with any claim initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or any director
or officer of the Company, unless the Company has joined in or consented to the initiation of such
Proceeding.
Section 3. Indemnity in Third-Party Proceedings. The Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened
to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the
right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee
shall be indemnified against all Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually
and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on his behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any
claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably
believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of a
criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. Indemnitee
shall not enter into any settlement in connection with a Proceeding without ten (10) days prior
written notice to the Company.
Section 4. Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. The Company
shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee is, or
is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding by or in the right of the
Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be
indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in
connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good
faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Company. No indemnification for Expenses shall be made under this Section 4 in respect of any
claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court to be
liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery (the
“Delaware Court”) or any court in which the Proceeding was brought shall determine upon
application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the
case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification for such expenses as the
Delaware Court or such other court shall deem proper.
Section 5.
Partial Indemnification. If a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company of
some or a portion of the Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement of a
Proceeding but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless
indemnify such director, officer, employee or agent for the portion thereof to which he is
entitled. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, to the extent that director,
officer, employee or agent has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any or all
claims relating in whole or in part to a Proceeding or in defense of any issue or matter therein,
including dismissal without prejudice, such director, officer, employee or
agent shall be
indemnified against all Expenses incurred in connection therewith. In connection with any
determination by the reviewing party or otherwise as to whether the
director, officer, employee or agent is entitled to be indemnified hereunder the burden of proof shall be on the Company to
establish that such director, officer, employee or agent is not so entitled.
Section 6. Indemnification For Expenses as a Witness. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his Corporate Status, a
witness in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party, he shall be indemnified against all
Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith.
Section 7. Additional Indemnification.
(a) Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 3, 4, or 5, the Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee is a party to or is threatened to
be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to
procure a judgment in its favor) against all Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding.
(b) For purposes of Section 7(a), the meaning of the phrase “to the fullest extent permitted
by law” shall include, but not be limited to:
(i) to the fullest extent permitted by the provision of the DGCL that authorizes or
contemplates additional indemnification by agreement, or the corresponding provision of any
amendment to or replacement of the DGCL or such provision thereof; and
(ii) to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by any amendments to or replacements of the
DGCL adopted after the date of this Agreement
that increase the extent to which a corporation may indemnify its officers, directors,
employees or agents.
Section 8. Exclusions. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the
contrary, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnity in
connection with any claim made against Indemnitee:
(a) for which payment has actually been made to or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance
policy or other indemnity provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid under
any insurance policy or other indemnity provision;
(b) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by
Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law;
(c) on account of conduct by Indemnitee that is established by a final judgment as knowingly
fraudulent or deliberately dishonest or that constituted willful misconduct;
(d) on account of conduct by Indemnitee that is established by a final judgment as
constituting a breach of Indemnitee’s duty of loyalty to the Company or resulting in any personal
profit or advantage to which Indemnitee was not legally entitled; or
(e) for which payment is prohibited by applicable law.
Section 9. Advances of Expenses. The Company shall advance, to the extent not
prohibited by law, the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding, and such
advancement shall be made within two (2) business days after the receipt by the Company of a
statement or statements requesting such advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final
disposition of any Proceeding. Advances shall be unsecured and interest free. Advances shall be
made without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay the expenses and without regard to
Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification under the other provisions of this Agreement.
Advances shall include any and all reasonable Expenses incurred pursuing an action to enforce this
right of advancement, including Expenses incurred preparing and forwarding statements to the
Company to support the advances claimed. The Indemnitee shall qualify for advances upon the
execution and delivery to the Company of this Agreement which shall constitute an undertaking
providing that the Indemnitee undertakes to the fullest extent required by law to repay the advance
if and to the extent that it is ultimately determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a
final judgment, not subject to appeal, that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the
Company. This Section 9 shall not apply to any claim made by Indemnitee for which indemnity is
excluded pursuant to Section 8. The right to advances under this paragraph shall in all events
continue until final disposition of any Proceeding.
Section 10. Procedure for Notification and Defense of Claim.
(a) To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a
written request therefor.
(b) The Company will be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.
Section 11. Procedure Upon Application for Indemnification.
(a) Upon written request by Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to Section 10(a), a
determination, if required by applicable law, with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement thereto
shall be made in the specific case by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy
of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee and, if it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled
to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such
determination. Indemnitee shall cooperate with the Independent Counsel making such determination
with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such counsel
upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or
otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably
necessary to such determination. Any costs or expenses (including attorneys’ fees and
disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the Independent Counsel shall be borne
by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to
indemnification) and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless
therefrom.
(b) The Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee. The Company may, within ten (10)
days after written notice of such selection, deliver to the Indemnitee a written objection to such
selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the
ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent
Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with
particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the
person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If such written objection is so made and
substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and
until such objection is withdrawn or a court has determined that such objection is without merit.
If, within twenty (20) days after the later of submission by Indemnitee of a written request for
indemnification pursuant to Section 10(a) hereof, and the final disposition of the Proceeding, no
Independent Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, the Indemnitee may petition a
court of competent jurisdiction for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the
Company to the selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel
of a person selected by the court or by such other person as the court shall designate, and the
person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as
Independent Counsel under Section 11(a) hereof. Upon the due commencement of any judicial
proceeding
pursuant to Section 13(a) of this Agreement, Independent Counsel shall be discharged and
relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of
professional conduct then prevailing).
Section 12. Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings.
(a) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the
Independent Counsel making such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to
indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in
accordance with Section 10(a) of this Agreement, and the Company shall have the burden of proof to
overcome that presumption in connection with the making by the Independent Counsel of any
determination contrary to that presumption. Neither the failure of the Company or of Independent
Counsel to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this
Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the
applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company or by Independent
Counsel that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the
action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.
(b) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment,
order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of guilty, nolo contendere or its
equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself
adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee
did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to
the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had
reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.
(c) For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted
in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise,
including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the officers of the
Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise or
the Board or counsel selected by any committee of the Board or on information or records given or
reports made to the Enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser,
investment banker or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Company or the Board or any
committee of the Board. The provisions of this Section 12(c) shall not be deemed to be exclusive
or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which the Indemnitee may be deemed to have met
the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.
(d) The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, agent or
employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right
to indemnification under this Agreement.
Section 13. Remedies of Indemnitee.
(a) Subject to Section 13(e), in the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to
Section 11 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this
Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement,
(iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section
11(a) of this Agreement within ninety (90) days after receipt by the Company of the request for
indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Sections 5 or 6 or the
last sentence of Section 11(a) of this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company
of a written request therefor, or (v) payment of indemnification pursuant to Sections 3, 4 or 7 of
this Agreement is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee
is entitled to indemnification, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by a court of his
entitlement to such indemnification or advancement of Expenses.
(b) In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this
Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding commenced
pursuant to this Section 13 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, on the merits
and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination. In any judicial
proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 13, the Company shall have the burden of proving
Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses, as the case may be.
(c) If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement that
Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any
judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 13, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee
of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not
materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of
such indemnification under applicable law.
(d) The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding commenced
pursuant to this Section 13 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid,
binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court that the Company is bound by all the
provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against any and all Expenses
and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a
written request therefor) advance, to the extent not prohibited by law, such Expenses to
Indemnitee, which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by Indemnitee
for indemnification or advance of Expenses from the Company under this Agreement or under any
directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, regardless of
whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advancement of
Expenses or insurance recovery, as the case may be.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no determination as to
entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement shall be required to be made prior to the final
disposition of the Proceeding.
Section 14. Non-exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Insurance; Subrogation.
(a) The rights of indemnification and to receive advancement of Expenses as provided by this
Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be
entitled under applicable law, the Charter, the Company’s Bylaws, any agreement, a vote of
stockholders or a resolution of directors, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this
Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this
Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his Corporate Status
prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in Delaware law, whether
by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification or advancement of Expenses than
would be afforded currently under the Charter, Bylaws and this Agreement, it is the intent of the
parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by
such change. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or
remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right
and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The
assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the
concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.
(b) To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing
liability insurance for directors, officers, employees, or agents of the Company or of any other
Enterprise, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their
terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, employee or
agent under such policy or policies. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant
to the terms hereof, the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the
Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in
accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter
take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee,
all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.
(c) In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the
extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all papers
required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents
as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.
(d) The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment of amounts
otherwise indemnifiable hereunder (or for which advancement is provided hereunder) if and to the
extent that Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment under any insurance policy,
contract, agreement or otherwise.
(e) The Company’s obligation to indemnify or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is
or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of any other
corporation, partnership, joint venture,
trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has
actually received as indemnification or advancement of Expenses from such other corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise.
Section 15. Duration of Agreement. This Agreement shall continue until and terminate
upon the later of: (a) ten (10) years after the date that Indemnitee shall have ceased to serve as
a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, as the case may be or (b) one (1) year
after the final termination of any Proceeding, then pending in respect of which Indemnitee is
granted rights of indemnification or advancement of Expenses hereunder and of any proceeding
commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 13 of this Agreement relating thereto. This Agreement
shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of
Indemnitee and his heirs, executors and administrators. The Company shall require and cause any
successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all,
substantially all or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written
agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to
perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required
to perform if no such succession had taken place.
Section 16. Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be
held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality
and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including without limitation,
each portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid,
illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any
way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by
law; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform
to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to
the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each
portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal
or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to
give effect to the intent manifested thereby.
Section 17. Enforcement.
(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and
assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon
this Agreement in serving in such capacity on behalf of the Company.
(b) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to
the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and
implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof; provided,
however, that this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Charter and
Bylaws of the Company and applicable law, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to
diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that this Agreement shall
be deemed to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in whole or in
part, for any reason whatsoever, and the Company has previously
entered into an indemnification agreement with Indemnitee, then the
terms of such indemnification agreement entered into previously by
and between the parties hereto shall be deemed to be in full force
and effect and shall be considered a legal, binding and enforceable
obligation against the Company.
Section 18. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification or amendment of this
Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the parties thereto. No waiver of any of
the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other
provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
Section 19. Notice by Indemnitee. Indemnitee agrees promptly to notify the Company in
writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information
or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification or
advancement of Expenses covered hereunder. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall
not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to the Indemnitee under this Agreement
or otherwise.
Section 20. Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under
this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if (a) delivered by
hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been
directed, (b) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business
day after the date on which it is so mailed, (c) mailed by reputable overnight courier and
receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed or
(d) sent by facsimile transmission, with receipt of oral confirmation that such transmission has
been received:
(a) If to Indemnitee, at such address as Indemnitee shall provide to the Company.
(b) If to the Company to:
or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company.
Section 21. Contribution. To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if
the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for any reason
whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount
incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to
be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any claim relating to an
indemnifiable event under this Agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in
light of all of the circumstances of such Proceeding in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits
received by the Company and Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving
cause to such Proceeding; and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors,
officers, employees and agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or
transaction(s).
Section 22. Applicable Law and Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement and the legal
relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with,
the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. The Company and
Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agree that any action or proceeding arising
out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Delaware Court, and not in
any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country,
(ii) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any
action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (iii) appoint, to the
extent such party is not otherwise subject to service of process in the State of Delaware, The
Corporation Trust Company, Wilmington, Delaware as its agent in the State of Delaware as such
party’s agent for acceptance of legal process in connection with any such action or proceeding
against such party with the same legal force and validity as if served upon such party personally
within the State of Delaware, (iv) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or
proceeding in the Delaware Court, and (v) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that
any such action or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or
inconvenient forum.
Section 23. Identical Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party
against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this
Agreement.
Section 24. Miscellaneous. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are
inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to
affect the construction thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed as of the day and year
first above written.
| UST Inc. |
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| [Name] | ||||
| [Title] | ||||
| INDEMNITEE |
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| By: | ||||
| [Name] | ||||
| [Title] | ||||